Carrier device



Jan. 12, 1943. E. A. REID CARRIER DEVICE Original Filed June 20, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1943. I E. A. REID CARRIER DEVICE fi'iginal Filed June 20, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES PA'l Ei l'll OFFICE CARRIER DEVICE Elmer A. Reid, Morris'ville, Pa. I Continuation of application Serial No. 731,425,

June 20, 1934.

1940, Serial No. 364,937

13 Claims. (Cl. 126-340) This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 731,425, filed June 20, 1934.

This invention relates to carriers as means for adjustably supporting racks, pans and the like in cooking ranges, cabinets, refrigerators and other apparatus. It relates more particularly to adjustable carriers for use in ovens in cooking ranges whereby the art of broiling may beperformed with greater ease, economy and accuracy.

Heretofore it has been general practice to provide a series of tiered grooves. or slideways attached to or formed in the side walls of the broiler, the oven or the broiler drawer for supporting the pan, the rack and the like, and from which the pan, the rack and the like could be withdrawn and then reinserted upward or downward as a means for varying the required distance from the heating unit.

The objects of my invention are: to provide a carrier device which is simple in construction and efiicient in operation, designed to support a pan, a rack or the like and to move upwardly or downwardiy in substantially horizontal positionwhere by the pan, .the rack or the like need not be re-i moved in making adjustments; to provide a carrier device designed to slidably support a pain, a

rack or the like which may be automatically adjusted upwardly or downwardly by the movements of the door of an oven, a broiler, a drawer ora compartment or of a projecting manually operative member; to provide an adjustable carrier mechanism operatively concealed in the side walls of an oven, a broiler, a drawer or a compartment and operatively connected through openings in the side walls with the carrier members which support a pan, a rack or the like; to provide a substantially vertical carrier movement which may be actuated one step in therange of travel with the partial downward or opening movement of the door, or the projected manually operative member and an additional step with each successive partial movement from the closed position and which may be actuated one step in the opposite direction with each successive partial upward or closing movement from the approximately fully opened position; to provide carrier operating mechanism which automatically enables the pan, the rack or the like to be. maintained at any one of the adjusted positions regardles of the continuous opening and closing of the door; to provide carrier operating mechanismawhich automatically disengages as the maximum upward or downward adjustment is reached when successive adjustment movements either upward orndown This application November 8,

ward are continuous; toprovide an adjustable carrier device supporting a pan, a rack or the like which device is compact, simple and efiicient and which is supported by the side walls of the linings of an. oven, 2. drawer broiler, a drawer or a compartment; to prfovide an oven, a drawer broiler Or a compartment with a carrier which may adjustably support a pan, a rackandthe like and which may be automatically adjusted upwardly or downwardly in substantially horizontal position by the movements of a door or a manual: ly operated member as means. for varying the distance betweenthe pan and the heatingunit.

'A still further object is to provide certain imp-rovements in the form construction and ar-' rangement of the several parts whereby the above named and other objects may be effectively attained.

Practical embodiments of. my invention are represented in accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal sectionof. a broiler oven showing a drawer broiler with the outer side partly broken away, a carrier mechanism assembled in the side walls of the drawer broiler and a drawer ,door front partly open.

Fig. 2 represents a partial sectional plan view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1., I,

i Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectional view ,of one side on line i 4 of Fig. 2., 1

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary longitudinal section of an oven with the inner, side wall partly broken away showing a carrier mechanism assembled within the side walls and a. door front fully opened.

' Fig. 5 representsa perspective view ofa com partment with the outer sidep'artly broken away showing a carrieromechanism. in modified form assembled within the side walls of the compartment and a door partly opened.

.Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the, broiler compartment i5 is equipped with the burner unit [6 and the drawer IT. The door 18 which extends across the front of the drawer I1 is attached thereto by the hinges l9. and is held in a closed position against the drawer front by the latch 20. The door I 8 serves also to close the drawer opening 2| of the broiler compartment I5. The guide supports upon which the drawer I! may travel in and out are not shown. These several features are of the general type in use in gas and electric cooking ranges but are described cation to my invention;

The carrier device as represented is a metal structure and in this instance is applied to a drawer broiler, a cooking range oven and a cabinet compartment.

The actuating mechanism concealed between the inner and outer side walls 23 and 34 respectively of the drawer broiler I'I comprises the arm 25 pivotally mounted on the bearing bolt 21 and the arm 25 pivotally mounted on the bearing bolt 28. The elliptical segmental gear member 29 is freely journaled between the arms 25 and 26 on the bearing pin 30 and is contactively sup ported by the support pin 3| in contact with the spirally shaped edge 32. The actuating member 33 engages the freely journaled elliptical segmental gear 29 by means of the openings 34 and 35 so as to cause the elliptical gear 29 to move in clockwise or in counterclockwise directions. This rotatable movement has the effect of raising or lowering the pivotally mounted arms 25 and 25. The pivotal connections 36 and 3'! connectthe actuating members 33 with the door I8 by means of the connector 38.

The pivotally mounted arms 25 and 26 which are preferably composed of flat iron are supported by the inner side walls 23 of the drawer IT by means of the bearing bolts 27 and 28. They are assembled'in flatwise, crosswise formation with off sets to provide freedom of action with the elliptical segmental gears 25 mounted between them. A substantially horizontal movement is maintained in the up and down travel at the traveling ends of the arms 25 and 26 by means of the center bearing pin 39. The bearing pin 30 is held securely in arm 26 and is slidable in the slot 39 of the arm 25.

The carriers 40 which are preferably composed of sheet iron and formed substantially into the shape of a channel are positioned horizontally on the exposed inside walls 23 of the drawer H and slidably support the pan 4| including the rack 42 upon which food may be placed for broiling. In this instance the carriers 49 are provided with welded cleat supports 43 which are projected through the slots 44 of the inner side walls. The cleat supports slidably engage the traveling ends of the arms 25 and 26 within the concealed space in the side walls.

The freely journaled eccentrically designed segment gears 29 which are preferably composed of sheet brass are supported by the inner side walls 23 of the drawer I! by means of the support pins 3| and are constructed so that the properly spaced and irregularly shaped toothed projections 48 may engage with the actuating members 33. As intermittent rotation proceeds in either direction the adjacent teeth upon rising lift the actuating members 33 and completely disengage them from the gears 29 effecting a precise limit in fractional rotation and a corresponding limit in the upward or downward travel of the carriers 40.

The spirally shaped edge 32 in contact with the support pin 3| is interrelated with the companion edge 45 and each is provided with retaining means in the form of a plurality of cooperating integral members 46 and 4! respectively. The location of the members 45 and 41 is geometrically determined from the spacing of the toothed projections 48 so as to interlock with the support pin 3| and retain the carriers 40 in position until released for readjustment.

The actuating members 33 are preferably formed of sheet iron in an inverted U shape and slidably rest upon the elliptical segment gears29 with the sides downward to maintain their position upon the gears 29. The actuating members 33 are provided with openings 34 and 35 which are relatively located and dimensioned for contactive intermittent engagement with the toothed projections 48.

The connectors 38 which are composed preferably of flat iron connect with the actuating members 33 through pivotal connections 36 and pass through slotted openings in the drawer front, to engage the door I8 through the pivotal connection 31. The connectors 38 transmit the door movements to the actuating members 33 and also limit the door travel to the fully opened position 50.

The connectors 33 are provided with shoulder extensions 5| which contact with the actuating members 33 to maintain a substantially horizontal position throughout the travel of the actuating members 33 and to exert a downward pressure upon the actuating members 33 in bearing upon the eccentric gear 29.

In operation, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the lowering of the door I8 from the partially opened position shown, immediately imparts a pull to the actuator 33 through the connector 38 to effect a fractional rotational movement of the freely journaled elliptical segment gear 29 through the contactive engagement of the toothed projections 48 with the actuator 33. As rotation proceeds the adjacent tooth, upon rising, liftts the actuator 33 into complete disengagement. Concurrently the elliptical segment gear 29 is lowered on the support pin 3| along the receding contact edge 32 until the notch 46 engages the support pin 3|. 1

Simultaneously the center bearing 30 is lowered and a'downward centralized movement is communicated to the crosswise connected arms 25 and 26 and to the carriers 40 which slidably support the pan, the rack or the like. The upper ends of the crosswise connected arms 25 and 26 freely and securely engage the cleats 43 which are attached to the slideway carriers 40 and are projected through the slots 44 to the space enclosed by the inner and outer sidesof the drawer broiler IT. The carrier device is supported by the bearings 21 and 28 and the support pins 3| which are attached to the inner sides 23 of the drawer II.

In this manner a'slight pull on the handle 22 effects one step in the downward adjustment. The second step in the downward adjustment is effected by slightly raising the door I8 to the position shown. Slightly raising the door imparts movement to the actuator 33 sliding it backward on the raised tooth to the opening 34 through which the actuator 33 reengages the two uppermost teeth 48 to effect the next downward adjustment. Repeatedly rocking the door I8 from the positions shown adjusts the slideway carriers 40 to the maximum downward position after which the mechanism automatically disengages.

To reverse the adjustment and raise the carriers 40 the door I8 may be lowered to the approximately fully opened position 50. This draws the actuator 33 to engage the toothed projection 48 of the freely journaled elliptical segmental gear 29 through the opening 35. Then by slightly raising the door I8 the mechanism is actuated in the reverse direction and the carriers 40 are moved upward through one step in the upward adjustment range. Repeated rockings of the door from this position moves the carrier to the maximum upward adjustment after which the mechanism again automatically disen ages.

Thecombined movements of opening the door from the .closed position to the fully opened position and then closing the door does not change the adjustment of the carrier 4|! and in this manner the carrier supporting the pan, the rack or the like may be automatically retained indefinitely in any one. of its adjusted positions. The actuator 33 while engaging the toothed projections 48 rigidly holds the device while the door is fully opened or closed thus ensuring a firm support especially for the pan in all positions there- The raising and lowering type of door, now in use on broiler ovens and drawer broilers, employing pivotally mounted side braces to move the door upward and downward, thereby opening and closing the front of the drawer and the broiler compartment of which the drawer and the door form a part, may be adapted to actuate the carrier mechanism for the upward and downward movement of the carrier.

In the oven compartment 55, defined in Fig. 4, is represented the adjustable carrier device 56 positioned in the upper half of the oven compartment 55 and upon which a pan, a rack or the like may be slidably mounted. The carrier device mechanism previously described is shown concealed in the side walls or linings 65 with provision for. supporting and actuating the carrier members 56 through the side wall openings 44. The pivotal bearings 21 and 28 and the support pin 3| are mounted on the inside walls or linings 65 of the oven. The hinged door 51 is supported in the fully open position shown by the pivotally have their hearing supports 60 mounted on the inside walls or liningsof the oven. The actuating U shaped members 33 in contactive engagement with the elliptical segment gears 29 are operatively connected to the lever arms 59 through bearing pins 6!. The electric heating element 62 located in the top of the compartment and the set of .slideways 63 located in the lower half of thecompartment are of the general type now in use in cooking ranges. Each partial upward movement of the door 51 from the approximately fully opened position is transmitted through the connected levers 58 and 59 to the actuating members 33 which in sequence partially rotates the elliptical segment gears 29 causing an upward or downward movement in the arms 25 and 26 and the carriers 56 through one phase in the range of adjustment. Raising the door 51 to the indicated partially open position 634 re-engages the actuating members 33 and reverses the adjustment.

In Fig. 5 the compartment 84 with the hinged door 35 and the carrier device 40 sup-porting a pan, a rack or the like is provided with an alternative form for operating the carrier device. In this instance the exposed handle device 86 operatively connects with and actuates the interior mechanism for adjusting the carrier device 40 upwardly or downwardly through the slots 44 of the lining. The yoke lever 81 has elongated holes which engage the bearing pins 88 mounted in the side walls of the compartment 84.

The partially outward movement of the handle device 86 from the pushed-in position operates the-actuating members 33 which are connected to the yoke lever 81 through bearing pins 89 and adjusts the carriers 40 throughone step of the adjustment range. Each successive partialoutward "movement produces a corresponding adjustment- To reverse the carrier adjustment the hand grip is drawn to the out-position 9B and partially pushed inward. Each successive partial inward movement produces a correspondingly reverse adjustment.

Without undue complication of parts the device has been constructed so that its several parts may be supported by the walls, one .on each .side, in the oven, a drawer broiler, a drawer -or a zoompartment. Also the device may be mounted on sheet metal of prescribed shape and size made up as a unit and conveniently applied to new apparatus or supplied as an improved feature for apparatus already in use.

Although the combined movements of pivotally arranged links and of freely journaled eccentrics are shown, other means may be adapted for actuating pivotal links and other movement combinations may be applied to eifect the upward and downward travel and the support of a pair or of sets of carrier devices.

Whereas the foregoing detailed description is given particularly for clearness of understanding I do not intend to be limited to the precisedetails shown and described but desire it to beunderstood that various changes in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts and in the method of operation may be made without departing from the essential features and scope of my invention as set forth in the ap-' pended claims.

I claim: t

1,. Elevating mechanism comprising supporting links movably joined together, said links being pivotally mounted at one end; a rotatable member mounted eccentrically on said links, said member being provided with a spirally shaped bearing surface; a support contacting the spirally shaped bearing surface of said member; operable means adapted to rotate said member for selectively varying the spacing between the axis of said member and said support as the bearing surface of said member rotates with respect to said support; and means engaging restrainingly with said support for holding fractional rotary movements of said member.

2. In elevating mechanism, supporting links pivotally mounted at one end and movably joined together intermediate their ends; a rotatable member adjacent said links, said member being provided with tooth projections and having a bearing surface eccentric with its axis; means journaling said member on one of said links; a support contacting the eccentric bearing surface of said member; and actuating means adapted to engage the tooth projections of said member for rotating said member intermittently as said actuating means is reciprocated with respect to said member, said support engaging restrainingly with said member for holding intermittent rotary movements of said member.

3. Carrier mechanism comprising a plurality of links pivotally mounted at one end and adapted to carry an article support, said links being movably joined together by a pin intermediate their ends, one of said links having a slot to re-' ceive said pin; a rotatable member mounted on said pin adjacent said links, said rotatable member being provided with tooth projections and having a bearing surface eccentric to said pin; a support contactin the bearing surface of said rotatable member; actuating means engaging said tooth projections; restraining means for holding fractional rotary movements of said rotatable member; an operable member; and means connecting said actuating means and said operable member whereby movement of said operable member rotates the rotatable member with respect to said support to project and retract the said links as the spacing between said pin and said support varies.

4. Carrier mechanism comprising article supporting links movably'joined together intermediate their ends, a pair of so joined links being pivotally supported in substantially parallel arrangement and operatively connected for joint movement; rotatable members mounted on said links, each member being provided with a hearing surface eccentric with respect to its axis; a support contacting the bearing surface of .said members, said bearing surface having cooperative means engaging restrainingly with said support to hold fractional rotational movements of said members; an operable member; and means connecting said rotatable members and said operable member whereby movement of said operable member rotates said rotatable members with respect to said supports to project and retract the said links.

5. In a structure having an oven therein provided with a door pivotally mounted at the front of said structure for closing said oven, pan supporting means located in said oven, elevating means including a member movable in opposite directions and means actuated by said member and engaging said pan supporting means to raise the pan supporting means on movement of said member in one direction and to lower the pan supporting means on movement of said member in the opposite direction, a reversibly movable element for operating said member, said member and element having cooperating parts successively engageable to move said member one step at a time in either direction on like movements of said element, retaining means engaging a part of said elevating means to hold said member and pan supporting means in that position to which it is moved by said reversibly movable element and actuating means connected to said door and to said reversibly movable element to actuate said element on pivotal movement of said door.

6. In a structure having an oven therein, pan sup-porting means located in said oven, elevating means including a member movable in opposite directions and means actuated by said member and engaging said pan supporting means to raise the pan supporting means on movement of said member in one direction and to lower the pan supporting means on movement of said member in the opposite direction, two alternative ratchet elements selectively movable into engagement with said member to move said member one step at a time in opposite directions on each operation of that ratchet element acting upon said member, means engaging a part of said elevating means for holding said member and pan supports in that position to which it is moved by said ratchet elements and actuating means connected to said ratchet elements and movable to bring a selected one of said ratchet elements into operative engagement with said member.

7. In a structure having an oven therein, pan supporting means in said oven, elevating means including an eccentric member movable in opposite directions about a center and means actuated by said eccentric member and engaging said pan supporting means to raise said pan support? ing means on movement of said eccentric memher in one direction and to lower said pan supporting means on movement of said eccentric member in the opposite direction, operating means cooperating with said eccentricmember and including a reciprocating element having a part thereof successively engageable with said eccentricmember to move said member one step at a, time in either direction on each reciprocation of said element, retaining means engaging a part of said elevating means to hold said eccentric member and pan supporting means in that position to which it is moved and manually operable actuating means connected to said operating means to actuate said operating means.

8. In a structure having an oven provided with opposite side walls and with a door for closing the oven, pan supporting means located in said oven adjacent said opposite side walls, elevating means supported by said opposite side walls and including a rotatable member movable in opposite directions about an axis to actuate said pan supporting means for raising and lowering the same, reciprocating means cooperating with said rotatable member and having a part thereof successively engageable with said rotatable member to rotate said member through a predetermined arc on each reciprocation of the reciprocating means, retaining means engaging said rotatable member and cooperating therewith to retain said member and pan supporting means in each of a plurality of predetermined positions to which it is moved by said reciprocating means and manually operable actuating means connected to said reciprocating means for actuating the same to rotate said member and move said pan supporting means from one of said predetermined positions to another.

9. In a stove having abroiling oven therein, a drawer slidably movable into and out of said oven, said drawer having a bottom and side walls and being open at the top and having a front mounted on the drawer and pivotally movable with respect to other parts of the drawer, pan supporting means carried by the drawer, elevating means adjacent the side walls of the drawer and connected to said pan supporting means to raise and lower the pan supporting means, two alternative ratchet elements operatively connected to said elevating means for moving said elevating means step by step in either direction from one elevated position to another, and actuating means operatively connected to the pivoted front of said drawer and to said ratchet elements, the front of said drawer being selectively movable to cause said actuating means to bring either one or the other of said ratchet elements into operation to actuate said elevating means on pivotal movement of the front of said drawer.

10. In a structure having an oven therein provided with a door pivotally mounted at the front of said structure for closing said oven, pan supporting means located in said oven, elevating means including a member movable in opposite directions and means actuated by said member and engaging said pan supporting means to raise the pan supporting means on movement of said member in one direction and to lower the pan supporting means on movement of said member in the opposite direction, a reversibly movable element for operating said member, retaining means engaging a part of said elevating means to hold said member and pan supporting means in those positions to which they are moved by said reversibly movable element and means oper atively connecting said door to said reversibly movable element to actuate said element in response to pivotal movement of said door.

11. In a stove having a broiling oven therein with an access opening in the front thereof, a door movably mounted on said stove in position to close said opening, a heat source located in said oven, a food support located in said oven beneath said heat source, adjusting mechanism connected to said food support for raising and lowering the food support to vary the space between the food support and said heat source whereby food on said support may be subjected to different cooking conditions, means for actuating said adjusting mechanism including an element connected to said door and engageable with said adjusting mechanism to actuate the adjusting mechanism on movement of the door, and retaining means engaging said adjusting mechanism to hold said mechanism and the food support in that position to which it is moved on movement of the door.

12. Elevating mechanism comprising a pair of article supporting links pivotally mounted on fixed supports at their lower ends, one of said links being provided with a slot intermediate the ends thereof, the other link being provided with a pin located intermediate the ends thereof and projecting into said slot to provide a slidable pivot connection between the links, a disc member mounted on said pin between said links and being formed with an arcuate slot eccentric to said pin, teeth projecting from the periphery of said disc member, a fixedly mounted member engaging in said arcuate slot, and means mounted for reciprocatory movement relative to said disc member and operable to engage said teeth one at a time to impart an intermittent rotary movement to said disc member as said means is reciprocated.

13. In a stove having a broiling oven provided with an access opening in the front thereof and a door movable to close said opening, a, heat source, a food support located in said oven beneath said heat source, vertically movable" means carrying said food support, and actuating means for varying the position of said vertically movable means and food support with respect to said heat source, said actuating means including a rotatable element operatively connected to said vertically movable means to raise and lower the same and a cooperating element operatively connected to said door and movable thereby to actuate said rotatable element and vary the position of said vertically movable means, and retaining means engaging the rotatable element to hold said element and said vertically movable means in those positions to which they are moved on movement of said door and cooperating element.

ELMER A. REID. 

